Where Angels Fear To Tread
by TheVulgarFaerie
Summary: Ever since Piper Crandall's best friend Victoria died, things haven't been right. She knows what she should do, but Piper has never been good at doing what's she's told. Especially when it comes to her infruitating bondmate Bryce.
1. Piper

**Where Angels Fear To Tread**

_1._

_Piper_

Piper Crandall walked through the halls of Duchesne, she always thought it was very important the way one walked, so Piper always made sure her walk was like the walk down the runway, but maybe more scary. Piper was sixteen years old, or at least in this cycle.

Piper herself wasn't sure exactly how old she was, she had been sixteen years old many, many times. Piper was older than all the humans in schools, all the humans in the world, she often thought about that, and she thought of how long she would live on after all the Mortals were dead.

Though truly, Piper rarely thought about her Immortal status, or when she did, she just thought about how much better it was than being human. Piper really didn't have much time to do deep thinking, she had to keep up with her friends, who her friends were currently dating, if Piper hated anyone who they were dating, what kind of shoes they bought over the weekend, and if Piper thought any of them were ugly.

Piper Crandall had quiet a busy, shallow life, and Piper had been just fine with that. Well that was the before, now it wasn't so shallow or silly now. Not since Rio two years ago, not since their Regis went missing, not since Victoria died.

Being Immortal, Piper had no idea how to deal with death, how to accept that some one wasn't here anymore and you weren't ever going to see them again, Piper had no clue what to do.

Victoria and Piper had been friends for so long, and everyday Piper began to accept that she would never see Victoria in the hallway again, and they would never again giggle about boys from their English class, or go shopping Downtown, or watch bad movies and eat Ice cream together.

Victoria was gone and she wasn't ever coming back. Sure, Piper had other 'friends' but they were friends you say at lunch with, copied off their Math Homework and went out dancing with them sometimes, nothing too serious.

Piper had lost the one person she counted on for everything, and Piper wasn't good at dealing with losing stuff. Now Piper had Jaime and Willow, she had Lucy and Soos, but they weren't here real friends, Piper had been alone for nearly two weeks now and it was only getting worse.

Piper sat with Lucy Forbes and Katie Sheridan at Lunch that day, she had only begun to be friends with Katie this year, even though they had been going to Committee meetings together for almost two years now.

Katie was the classic Duchesne girl, tall blonde and bored, who wore tall strappy shoes and tight jeans, Piper wasn't sure she liked Katie yet. Lucy and Katie chatted animatedly together, sometimes stopping to ask Piper her take on the matter, which she would answer "Yes" or "No" it depended on the question.

Piper hadn't touched her food yet, she hadn't been hungry in days. Lucy had asked Piper if she had plans tonight, Piper said she didn't, so she was going to a party at Lucy's tonight. That was okay with Piper, Piper _loved _parties, she loved getting ready for parties, she loved hooking up at parties. But so did Victoria.

In fact, the last time Piper had seen Victoria was at a party, Jaime's party, the last time she had seen Victoria, Piper had been mad at her, and she couldn't take that back, not ever. And for what? Over a boy, was it something really that stupid?

Because Victoria was right, Bryce was a douche. Bond or not, Piper never wanted to speak with him again. Then Jaime Kip and Booze Langdon showed up at their table, talking loudly about something or another. "Hey Pip!" Jaime said taking a grape from her plate, Jaime always called her Pip, he used to call her Pippi Longstockings in Kindergarten, but he had gotten over that.

"Hey Jaime" Piper answered "Are we going to see you tonight" "Of course, wouldn't miss it" "Great" he said, and turned his attention back to Booze. Piper then heard a familiar inky laughter, the hair on her arms stood up on end, as she saw Bryce Cutting, covered head to toe in clay walk toward their table.

Jaime and Booze broke out in an appropriate chorus of "Oh, Shit man!" and Lucy and Katie just looked disgusted.

Then his dark eyes flickered over to her and he stopped grinning for a moment. He looked a little sad for a minute, which just made Piper angrier for some reason, they were bonded, Piper had discovered, and he didn't care.

Piper hadn't expected him to suddenly sweep her off her feet in a passionate declaration of his love for her, which never happened. She hadn't even expected them to start dating, however an acknowledgment that she existed would have sufficed, a simple "Hello" when they say each other in the hallway, but No, apparently that was just too much effort for Bryce Cutting.

No, instead, he would just mess around with every girl he saw. Piper got up, anger flaring inside her, she didn't want to look at him. "Hey, Man, just one minute" she heard Bryce say, but Piper just walked faster.

"I don't want to talk to you" Piper said fiercely, they were along in the halls, which Piper guessed was a good thing; she didn't wanted hundreds of spectators whispering about how she freaked out on Bryce Cutting.

"I know" he said calmly "I just wanted to say sorry" "You're sorry, oh, that's cute" "I didn't mean-I was an ass" "She wouldn't have gone with him if it wasn't for you" "You don't think I know that" "Well, do you?"

"Yes" "You don't know me" he said "And I don't want to" "I'm Sorry Piper, what else can I do?" "Just please, stay away from me, I was wrong about you" "Sorry?" he looked hopeful for a moment, and Piper didn't understand why.

"I shouldn't have defended you, I don't want anything to do with you" with those words Piper turned away.


	2. Backwards

Hi anyone who is reading this story! I love you!

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_The lights will guide you home and ignite your bones_

_Fix you-Coldplay_

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_2._

_Piper_

See, when Piper first discovered about bond mates, well, you can guess. How does anyone take the news that there is some one out there who loves you completely unconditionally, no matter what, forever, and has for thousands of years.

Your own guaranteed soul mate. Well fifteen year old Piper was giddy, she talked about it for weeks. Victoria thought it was stupid, Victoria was never much for love at first sight; actually Victoria was never much for love in general.

"Boys" she would groan "Who needs them" she said this about once a month starting in first grade.

When she got together with Evan, well Piper didn't know who was more surprised, Piper or Victoria. Then it just got so much worse when Bryce Cutting came into the picture. Piper, of course, like every growing up in the Upper East Side had known him forever, but she always thought he was a bit of a creep.

Then something happened, Piper had all those weird flashbacks everyone kept hyping about, and there was this boy. Who at first Piper thought was unfamiliar, even though she had never seen him with her eyes, she knew him she knew every inch of him.

And she could easily spot him out, by his hands, by his arms, by his lips, all she needed was a small bit of him and she knew him.

And then one day, Piper had gone to school with another sleepless night under her eyes, when it just happened.

Jaime Kip was talking to Bryce Cutting, and then she knew. The eyes, the lips, the laugh the voice, his very _being. _She knew him, he had been haunted her for weeks now, no one had to tell her, Piper figured it out right away, Bryce Cutting was her Bond Mate.

But Piper just couldn't tell Victoria, it was so personal, too personal.

It weighed on Piper for days before she found the courage to even look at him, much less talk to him. Then she just did, he was alone in the Hallway, school had ended about an hour ago, she walked up behind him.

"I know" was all he said to her, he didn't face her, but his dark eyes raced through her head, how they were always serious, how no light could ever reach them.

"Sorry?" Piper asked "You and me, I've known for awhile" "Well?" Piper felt anger rising up inside her, he claimed he had known for 'awhile' how long was awhile?

How could he not tell her? It was driving her crazy and according to him, well it was no big deal.

"Well what? It doesn't have to mean anything, not yet" "What?" Piper managed, she should have said something else, she was stronger than that, Piper Crandall squashed people under her $500 heals, Piper Crandall did not say "What?" to people who pissed her off.

"Honestly, Piper, you don't like me, it's obvious, you like the idea of me, let's leave at that for a little while" and that was that. Piper had just been rejected by her soul mate, and she had done nothing.

She wasn't sure what she was more upset about. But it didn't stop there, oh no, Piper could have handled that no problem, but it got so much worse. It was at Lucy Forbes's party that Winter, Victoria had gone off with Evan some time earlier, leaving Piper chatting with some cute human boy from NYU

when he came up to her, He didn't say anything, but he smiled at her, and Piper never felt more happy, He took her head and he spun her away into the darkness, he didn't bother dancing with her, he didn't bother telling her she was beautiful, his eyes said enough. They were so past that.

Piper didn't stop him when he closed the door when he helped her pull her shirt over her head, and Piper didn't hesitate to pull him jeans off, And she certainly didn't resist when they fell down on the bed together.

And then it was over, the only moment they had been together, well it didn't quite feel real, it felt like two different people who had been touching and moving in that bed.

When Piper woke up that next morning, it was next to a stranger, not some one who loved her passionately. It was Piper this time, who stayed clear of him. And Bryce easily got the message.

Then it was Victoria who found out, then Victoria went missing, then Victoria died.

And suddenly Piper just didn't care.

The thing she thought she wanted more than anything, it just didn't matter once your friend wasn't there to share it with you.

When Piper left school that afternoon, well nothing had ever relieved her more, she was just draining as she slumped down on the leather seats of her family car. She had about a hundred text messages and no intention of reading them.

For the first time in, well a very, very long time, Piper Crandall stayed at home, sat on her bed and looked at the ceiling until her eyes were too heavy to keep open.


	3. Bryce

_3._

_Bryce_

Girls like Piper Crandall, well Bryce Cutting usually had no inch of respect or patience for.

But Piper was different, which was funny because it didn't start out that way, not even a little bit.

Bryce had almost forgotten he even had a Bond Mate, the first memories he had were the distrust and the glares the Coven had given him over the years. They don't forget who you or where you come from, and they certainly never, ever let you forget it.

Maybe it was that he had forgotten one of those bright young things was his Soul mate, or however way they sold it.

It was just, that he didn't want them to be. Maybe if it was some like Azrael, who, even though she hides behind the mask of a ditzy socialite, it was very easy to see who she really was, A destroying Angel that could finish you with a glance.

But that was the problem, no one was like Azrael. And Piper Crandall certainly wasn't a destroying Angel, Bryce often wondered if Piper even counted as an Angel.

But they don't call it an unbreakable bond for Shits and Giggles, even if they both hated each other, Bryce and Piper were bound.

But Bryce liked to ignore this fact as much as he could. But now, now was different, as much as he rolled his eyes as girls like Victoria Taylor and Piper Crandall, but Victoria was dead.

And Piper hated him. He told himself he didn't care, but when your so called Soul Mate told you they never wanted to see you again, well, you can't help feeling bad about it. That day after Piper told him to piss off, well it didn't really affect the rest of his day too much.

After standing there watching the empty spot in the hall where she had stood, he slowly made his way back to Jaime and Booze, trying to continue on with the day. So the plan was to get fucked up, even though that was extremely difficult to do when you were a Fallen Angel, Booze was very, very annoyed when he couldn't get shit faced anymore.

They had better luck with Drugs, but even that was starting to lose it's effects, now Booze liked going to parties and watch everyone else get drunk, and he would just sit there and laugh until some one spun into his arms, and Bryce followed his act to a Tee, but it was different tonight.

Bryce had no heart for it, which was a horrifying realization, because it meant his mind was on Piper and Bryce was known to never think about girl while he was trying to get another drunk.

He thought if Piper liked to dance, what was her favourite song, did she take her shoes off?

Did she even like dancing? Why did he care? "Bryce man!" Booze shouted, a little bit too loudly. "What's your problem bro?" Bryce just gave him a long look, as his mind tried to come up with an answer that didn't make him sound like an idiot.

"I don't know man" was all Bryce could come up with, real genius moment there. So he just took another sip of his Corona, as meaningless as that was, he still did.

He was after all, meaningless in the end.

See, Bryce knew the coven was falling apart, it didn't take to long to figure it out.

When Azrael, the angel of Death starts acting as a Regent, you know things are bad.

Well bad for all the members who have bad it their past time looking down upon Dark Angels, if you think Classism doesn't exist among the "Enlighten" ones, you are probably selling something.

Bryce had, had id far share of this in many different cycles. If one ever had to wonder why the Angels of Destructions weren't the Uncorrupted biggest fans,

you needn't look further than Azrael and Abaddon, it didn't matter that they were single handily responsible for winning the war in heaven, it didn't matter that they had never once faltered in their loyalty to the Coven, it didn't matter that they had sent the Abomination back to hell.

Some how it was never good enough. Even if no eyes ever focused on Bryce, it was still there, no matter how much you prove your love and devotion, at the end of the day you still have _traitor _stamped on your forehead. For Bryce, he was glad that Mimi was acting Regent, he found it very hard not to like her.

She was what this Coven had been lacking, she is the very definition of a Heavenly Warrior.

Committee Meetings had been canceled since the Rio incident, Bryce hadn't cared too much, he always found it a waste of time.

But still, canceling the initiation the Young Vampires, however frivolous it was, meet that the Blue Bloods were scared, that they were being hunted, their control was slipping, something every single one of them had been taught to believe was simply impossible.

But what made it all worse; was that everyone pretended they were fine. They still had stupid parties on Long Island, they still abused familiars and spent too much money on shoes.

Victoria Taylor died, Bryce had known her forever, and whether or not he thought she was an uppity bitch was irrelevant. No one cared, no one was fazed, that a Blue Blood Vampire, an Immortal spirit was never coming back.

This was why Bryce needed Piper Crandall more than ever, if anyone understood that it was Piper, Piper might be among the airhead Vampires who buy shoes instead of slaying enemies, but she knew.

Bryce knew there was a lot more to her, that she was ready to fight, that she had seen their decay and it scared her. The problem was, his only ally hated him. Bryce was used to being hated, it was easy because you just hate them back, Bryce had never tried to clear things up, Bryce never really _tried _in general.

That afternoon as he watched Piper sit alone on the Benches outside the gate, he tried to think of something to say.

"Whatcha doing?" a sudden voice interrupted his brainstorming, as the might Mimi Force sat down beside him. Bryce didn't have an answer, Mimi might be in the same grade but she was also his Regent, discussion becomes awkward.

"Uh, nothing" "Yes, it looks boring" Mimi sighed. Bryce didn't know how she did, he knew very well her twin had left her at the bonding ceremony, everyone knew.

But she pretended it didn't bother her, she carried on. "You looking at Piper" Mimi asked with a sly grin, Bryce just thought it was stupid to lie to her.

"Yes" "I hear you pissed her off" "I piss everyone off" "But we all know she is a special little snowflake" "If there is anyone you shouldn't piss off, it's her, I thought you were smarter than that, Cutting"

"So, are you still grilling me Force?" "No, no, you're cleared Cutting, just having some fun with you" "It's hard" she said, the coy look that so often was her expression was gone, Mimi looked old and tired, with too much experience in her cold green eyes.

"You know, it" "And apparently it's not always meant to be" "who knew?" "But maybe, you two are, I seem to recall you being happy at one time" "Are you kidding me, Force?" "No, you disappoint me Cutting, you've gone all soft on me" "Wasn't my intention" "That's what makes it so funny" "So buck up, or whatever"

Mimi crowed and gave him a hearty slap on the back. "You'll hate yourself forever if you don't" and Bryce was never one to second guess the wisdom of Mimi Force.

It was the longest walk to where Piper was sitting, at first she didn't notice him, and Bryce was stuck, he had forgotten for a moment how to speak, until Piper turned to him, her face falling.

"I thought I told you to stay away from me" Bryce nodded "You did" "So you're doing what?" "Not listening" "Because that's a great quality in a person, why ever did I let you go?"

"Listen, I know you hate me, and that's fine, I understand, but there's more important stuff going on than just me and you" Piper bit her lip for a moment, "Meaning?"

"I think I need you help"


	4. Little Secrets

**Okay wow how long has it been? Actually don't tell me that, I'll try to be better I promise!**

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_4._

_Piper_

Piper Crandall didn't like confusion, she didn't like morally gray situations and she didn't like feeling scared. Which were all the emotions going through her after she walked away from Bryce.

Her life had been planned and in a lot of ways Piper was grateful for that, the decisions she had to make were never that hard, she never had to look into to something she never felt like she was making the wrong choice.

So why was she noticing the people who were supposed to protect were failing her, and how did Bryce know? "Look he said, just listen give me something" "I know you hate me and I don't want you to" "But what I'm asking of you is bigger than both of us" As much as she loathed him she couldn't turn her back to one of her kind in need.

"Okay" she breathed "What?" "You know" he said "I know a lot of things" Piper answered furiously "And I know you think I don't know anything worthwhile which actually is pretty popular opinion surrounding me not that anyone really cares to find out"

"I need you" "Because you're the smartest person I know" "And you know" "I know what?" "That we're falling apart"

a chill ran through her, like when you do something that you know is wrong and the idea of getting caught is almost too horrific for you to process, this was way worse than sneaking out to SoHo on a school night, this could get you killed if the wrong person heard it.

"I never said that" Piper defended herself, she wonder how much denying it would take her to convince herself it wasn't true, but when did Bryce pay half enough attention to her to figure that out? "I know you" "Knew me, maybe" Piper corrected him

"Things aren't right they haven't been for awhile and you might be the only one I know who might be willing to do something about it" "Is this because of Victoria?" "Yes" he admitted "Talk to some one else"

"But there isn't anyone else" "Come on really? I'm not falling for that one" "Here, yes I have friends, loved ones, sure in this place, not there you think anyone in the Committee actually trusts me?" "I think you take yourself far too seriously"

if Bryce Cutting thought he had it bad and he just so bad he clearly had a perception problem.

"I'm not in the mood to feel sorry for you, tell me something better" "I need your help I don't know what else you want me to say" "This isn't some game Bryce, you could, bad things could happen to you if anyone heard you saying this, it's not like it used to be"

"So you care about me, Crandall?" he said with a devilish grin "Ew" Piper said with little emotion "So what do you do with a corrupt power source" "They kill you" Piper told him

"You're such an optimist" he added dryly "Things aren't right and they are lying to us"

she could see under him, Piper wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but I was looking past the school boy mask he was wearing, she saw who he really was, some one who had lived for too long, some one who was tired, a fierce and noble warrior pulled into domestication by the people who would never give him any trust or respect.

And She knew he was hers. Piper didn't know why, but she knew this dark sad soul had been connected to her for a very long time in many different ways, and she knew she just couldn't say no-she knew she didn't want to.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked him he gave a small smile, that was delicate and Piper felt like it didn't happen often.

"You-you're saying yes?" "Is there a reason I shouldn't" "Besides the obvious" "I laugh in the face of danger" "Isn't where we usually go wrong?" "We're 'we' that fast?" "Not if you don't want to be" he phrased it like a question.

"How are we going to do this?" "We lie" he said honestly "A lot" "Well that isn't anything I'm not experienced in" "Good" "So what now?" "I'll call" "I'll call you?" Piper mimicked harshly

"No" she said fiercely "You don't get to disappear and come see me when it's convenient do I need to remind you that this isn't a game?"

"No you don't" "Then you need to be consistent with me, which as far as you have shown me is a foreign concept to you" "Because you know me so well" there was a dangerous edge in his voice that never failed to remind her who she was dealing with under his seemingly docile face.

"No" Piper said quietly "I don't know you" "Then you can stop acting like you do" "Is it possible for us to talk without fighting?" "You tell me" "Fuck you" "Haven't we already done that?"

"This was a bad idea I'm sorry" Piper said quickly her face hot with embarrassment, she didn't like to think about, she hadn't told any of her friends (Not that it was there business) she hadn't quite dealt with it herself.

He came running after her, which was the last thing she wanted "No, I'm sorry I shouldn't-I don't know why I say things like that" "Well that isn't good enough, you can't just say things like that to me, or anyone"

"I know-that was-I'm sorry" "I'm not here to help you" Piper said "That isn't my job" "I don't expect you to" "Do you mean that?" "Yes" "I don't-want anything from you just yet" he moved away from her, Piper only just then noticed how close they had been.

"This-whatever we have" "Yes" he said "I agree" "Good" Piper said a little worried about him being so agreeable there must be some kind of catch, but he just continued to look honest, so she supposed she had to give him the benefit of the doubt-even if she didn't really want to.

"Will you meet me here-tomorrow" "Yes" Piper said 'Okay, that's-that's it" "Good' piper answered, though it felt a little anticlimactic.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't them staring awkwardly at each other before slowly walking away and stealing looks at each other. Whatever they were-had been, right now they were both sixteen and still a little awkward though neither of them would admit it.

Piper felt absolutely exhausted as she climbed in the back of the family car, if she had any plans that night she had completely forgotten them as she collapsed on her bed-she didn't even have the energy to cry, she just feel into a deep, much needed sleep.


End file.
